


Better Together

by dumblaney



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Disabled Character, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Korrasami is Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 05:27:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26347837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumblaney/pseuds/dumblaney
Summary: Asami knew Korra as the schools star swimmer who was always ready for a fight, but that was before the accident at the begging of junior year. Now Korra returns to their senior year in a wheel chair and a glazed look.Or: Korra is sent back to school for her senior year in a wheelchair and Asami is her aid, gay shit ensues
Relationships: Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 3
Kudos: 90





	1. back to school

Asami’s pov: 

Asami stared Blankly at the girl in front of her. When she has signed up to be a student aid she expected to be helping some small freshman, or maybe running errands for a teacher. Instead, here she was staring down the most intimidating girl she had ever met.

Of course, she knew of Korra, everybody at Republic City High did. She was the star of the swim team, track and so much more. Asami had heard she was involved in an accident, but she had thought it was a broken arm and concussion type thing, not a wheelchair. But here Korra was looking like the shadow of her former self. 

“So umm… do you need help being pushed or..” Asami knew this was probably a stupid question to ask but didn't know how to navigate this situation. “No I got it, thanks,” Korra said quietly 

It was weird to hear Korra's voice so meek. Although Asami had never exchanged many words with Korra in the past she always remembered Korra speaking with pride, like she always knew exactly what she was doing. 

*DING* the elevator the two girls had been waiting for had finally arrived 

“So I guess you're stuck with me for the year, sorry about this” she gestured to the chair with a weak smile. 

“Yeah it won't be too bad I'm just here to make sure we get to classes on time, and no one gives you trouble” 

As the elevator doors closed the awkward energy ate Asami alive, the only relation she had really ever had to Korra was when there were rumors about them being “enemies” because they dated the same guy freshman year. Thinking back that whole incident was really Mako’s fault. 

“So Asami, your dad owns future industries right? That's cool I guess” this attempt at small talk lingered in the air only adding to the awkwardness 

“Umm yeah it has its perks, I get to work on the cars whenever I want” 

“No way,” the shorter girl said with actual excitement for the first time. “ I had no idea you were into mechanics that's badass” 

“Oh yeah, I've been tinkering in my dad's workshop since I could hold a wrench.” Asami said letting her self relax into the conversation with Korra “I never really took you as the type to get your hands dirty”

“What, did you think all I do is makeup overs and shopping” 

“Yeah, pretty much,” Korra said unapologetically. She reached up to rub the back of her neck in an attempt to resolve some of the tension in the room. 

Asami was used to people thinking she was nothing more than just a pretty face but it still hurt to hear it. Something in her thought that Korra wouldn't be shallow to her like that, but maybe Asami was wrong. 

“How else would you be so beautiful?” Added Korra. 

Being told she was beautiful was also something Asami heard often, but the way Korra had said it made her cheeks blush. The simple phrase made Asami think that In a way her intuition of Korra being able to see past her looks was right. It was almost as if Korra's big blue eyes could see straight into her soul. 

“Anyways let's get to class, I'm sure being late on my first day back will only make people stare more” this pulled Asami out of her trance, she hadn't even noticed the elevator doors open up again. She didn't remember Korra having this effect on her before but it was like magic. “ oh I'm sorry I was staring!” Asami said. 

“Like an idiot” Korra replied “it's ok I get it a lot now that I'm in a wheelchair” 

“No, um that's not what I-” Asami was flustered all of a sudden, she didn't want to make Korra feel like an oddity. 

Korra started to laugh as they made their way through the hall “if it didn't know better Sato, I'd say you were checking me out”. It was nice to see Korra with a smirk on her face, it felt normal like Korra should always be wearing that smug expression on her face. 

Asami was not going to let that smirk fade again if she could. 

“Maybe I was checking you out,” Asami said, playing into the joke. This time Korra began to blush. she tried to play it off by messing with her hair, but Asami saw the pink tent. 

“Here we are,” Asami said as they arrived at the doors of their English class.” let's hope for a good year!”

Maybe senior year could be good Korra thought to herself. Asami had already managed to make Korra smile more than she had in the past year since the accident, maybe she could continue to do so. 

  
  



	2. the worst days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning light mentions of suicidal thoughts

Falling so slowly, and yet too fast.

This is the last thing Korra remembers before the pain comes, tearing through her back like daggers edged in poison. 

Then with A scream, Korra wakes up from her nightmare. She glances over at her bedside table to see the clock reading 7:15, days like this are the worst. Starting the day off on the completely wrong foot and not having the time to recollect herself from reliving her near death.

Korra heard a soft knock at the door “hey sweetie are you up, I heard you from the kitchen.” 

“ Yeah, mom I'm fine just had the dreams again” Seena open the door and walked towards her daughter leaning in to brush Korra's bangs out of her eyes. 

“Let me help you up and get you dressed,” she said, holding Korra's upper body tenderly. Korra could feel the pity her mother radiated, in a way only a mother could feel so deeply for her daughter.

Korra felt absolutely useless as her mother changed her out of her pajamas into her school clothes. Looking into the mirror Korra could tell that her clothes no longer fit her body like it once did. It was almost like her body no longer belonged to herself, both in shape and function. 

“I made breakfast for you whenever your ready” senna said helping kora into her wheelchair 

Korra tried to appreciate the wheelchair and the movement it gave her, but It never seemed to be enough to let Korra escape from her mind. Would she ever feel like half the girl she once was? 

Katara, Korra's physical therapist, had hopes of getting Korra to walk again. Korra felt as if that would be a lifetime away with the slow progress she had made in the last year. 

Senna reached for a hairbrush to put up Korra's hair in her usual ponytails.

“ I got this, thanks,” Korra said lightly, taking her mother's hands away from her hair. 

‘Ok, sweetie holler if you need anything else” senna left a kiss atop her daughters head before leaving the bedroom. 

Doing things for herself, even just the little thighs like brushing her own hair made Korra feel normal again. Just for a moment, she could forget that her life had been derailed so suddenly 

Korra grabbed breakfast and headed out to her mom's van to go to school. This time last year Korra would had been picked up by her best friends mako and Bolin to go to school, blasting their favorite songs in mako’s shitty car. Korra hadn't seen the boys much since her accident, probably because they blame themselves for being there the day it happened. 

It was supposed to be another one of the gang's wreckless adventures, but they had taken things a little too far. Mako had driven the gang about an hour out from town to the mountains to go rock climbing. Of course, it was dangerous but it was something they had all done before so nobody thought twice, nobody thought Korra would fall the way she did. Korra didn't blame them for not thinking about it, it is her fault for getting too cocky and climbing in an unsafe area. In the back of her head, she thinks maybe it would be better if she hit the ground a little harder, or if the doctors failed during her back surgery.

would it have been better if she had just died? 

Korra had arrived a little earlier to school than usual, she knew Asami wouldn't be here yet. 

“I'll meet you in first period” Korra sent the text to Asami while making her way to the elevator as usual. At first, Korra thought having an aid was stupid, and she kinda still did but at this moment she missed her and Asami's small talk. Even if the two girls didn't really know each other it felt good to have someone treat her like a normal human being. Asami had a talent for that, others either would treat Korra like she had suddenly become a stupid and helpless child or ignore her existence altogether. 

She wanted to reach out to her old friends but could never find the words even over text, so for now Asami would have to do. 

Korra turned the corner almost as if on cue Bolin spotted her. There was nowhere for Korra to run even if she could’ve. 

“Hey Korra, I had heard you were back! How come you never texted me?”

“Oh I was kinda busy with just-” she couldn't lie to those big green eyes of her goofy best friend “ honesty I should have, I don't know why I didn't” Korra admitted. 

“Well that doesn't matter, you're here now! Lunch? Same time, the same place just like the good old days.” Bolin said with his warm smile

“ yeah, that would be nice Bolin, just like the good old days” it already felt so normal like Korra had not missed a day with Bolin. Like the “good old days” as Bolin called them had never ended. Finally, the feeling of death that had been lingering in Korra's mind since the morning has lifted slightly. 

“See you later, I got to go to class,” Bolin said before heading down the opposite side of the hall. 

By the time Korra made it to her English class, Asami was already sitting on her desk chatting with the teacher about something Korra couldn't quite hear. 

“Hey you, I was starting to get worried you weren't gonna show up,” Asami said noticing Korra entering 

“Yeah I got caught up with Bolin in the hallways, if it's cool with you I think I'm going to go eat lunch with them today” 

“I don't see why that would be an issue at all, mind if joined?” Asami said 

“Yeah, of course, you don't want to eat alone, I get it! God, we are going to throw mako through such a loop.” Korra joked knowing that both her and Asami were mako’s ex-girlfriends. Asami offered her perfect laughter, everything she did seemed to just be so effortlessly perfect to Korra. She was everything Korra wasn't from her hair never being out of place, to the outfits Korra would have never been able to plan. The cherry on top of Asami's perfect exterior was her brain, which Korra had learned in the past few days was always ruining a million miles per hour with extreme precision. 

Korra may have stared her day in the worst way possible, but it seemed as if her day wouldn't be as bad as she had predicted. Just being around others lifted Korra's sprits, and lunch was definitely something she was now looking forward to today. 

  
  



	3. sharing a meal

After the first half of their day, Asami and Korra headed down to the cafeteria. Asami couldn't tell if Korra was buzzing with excitement or pure nervousness to see her old friends, it was a little a mix of both.

Korra broke the silence between them to distract herself. “So physics, right?

Asami couldn't help but laugh at this remark it was just so odd. ’ I'm aware we just came from physics Korra, I was there too remember?”

“Umm yeah I know, what I was trying to say I guess is that I just went zoom over my head. Science has never really been my thing, I just know this isn't gonna be a fun year.”

“Oh, you know you could just ask me for help” Asami knew this is what Korra was trying to ask for, science was clearly Asami’s “thing” it must have run in the family or something.

“You'd do that,” Korra said, surprised, she wasn't really sure if Asami and Her were friends or just working with the circumstances they had been put in for the year.

“Yeah of course it's no big deal, you wanna come over this weekend to study for the test next week. I'll text you my address, we can make it a fun little study date.” Asami didn't mean to say date, it just rolled off her tongue. Hopefully, she didn't make Korra uncomfortable with her statement, she would never want that.

“Sounds like a plan Sato” Korra replied nonchalantly

Asami thanked god that she didn't just embarrass herself like she was afraid she would. She had never really had female friends and hoped that she could change that now with Korra. Most girls seemed intimidated by Asami wherever it was her looks or intelligence, others only ever seemed to try and compete with her. It was refreshing the way Korra didn't seem to care about those things, maybe it was because Korra could relate in a way. Even now Korra seemed untouchable like a spotlight constantly followed her life.

If this was a book Korra would be the main character, and maybe this was just her tragic backstory Asami thought.

The girls exited the school to go outside into the wide courtyard, Asami could see the “team” sitting at a picnic table under a large shade tree in the corner

“HEY!” Korra yelled from across the courtyard at them, waving while picking up her pace.

Bolin yelled something back that neither of them could quite hear, and mako looked bored already.

“Hey, guys whats up! This is opal” Bolin stated while flailing out his arms to show off the smaller girl “she's my girlfriend!”

“No way dude you finally asked her out! he’s been trying to ask you out since middle school I think opal” Korra stated in shock 

Opal just laughed like she had heard this one before.

“ and this is wu he’s Makos’ boyfriend” Bolin continued with a laugh

“BO! I've told you to stop SAYING that, we are NOT gay” the older brother fumed, but this just caused the group to laugh at his expense more.

"then why do you always go to the bathroom with him, you like his bodyguard," said opal   
  


"it's ok, admit it mako your in LOVE with me," Wu said causing mako to turn even redder.

The lunch table had definitely grown since Korra had left and a part of her felt like her friends had replaced her. She didn't know what she expected. It had been a year since she left, she hadn't been exactly the best friend during that time either. She was happy to see them of course and was excited about opal and Bolin, but Wu too?  
Wu was an underclassman that she remembered annoying the shit out of mako, What happened?

“So umm how are you two, it's been a while,” Mako said clearly uncomfortable with his two ex's presents.

Korra could feel the unease, mako, and her had not exactly ended on the best of terms, after the cheating he had convinced her to stay. They were actually still a couple on the day of her accident even though it was on the rocks. The last thing Korra can even remember mako saying to her was that she was just “too much” for him to handle while she was in the ICU. What a dick move to break up with your girlfriend while she is in critical condition because YOU can't handle it Korra thought.

“What? do we make you uncomfortable mako, Grow up.” Asami said matter of factly.

She was right this was supposed to be a fresh start for Korra. Why let the past weigh her down, it's not like she had any other friends inviting her to lunch. Korra had spent most of her week eating lunch in kya’s classroom, alone making small talk with the English teacher.

“Oh yikes, what's the story about THAT!” wu said

“NOTHING!” Korra and mako said at once “let's just say we have a complicated history” Korra finished

“So what was everyone up to over the summer?” Korra asked ignoring both the prior topic and the fact she had been gone for much more than just a summer.

Mako told of his summer internship with the city police, he seemed proud of himself. But as he was telling crazy stories of his adventures Asami felt her mind drift.

She could care less about his snarky one-liners for catching criminals, what intrigued her more was Korra. She had only really known the girl for a week but she wanted to know so much more. She wanted to know how to make her laugh, what her favorite movie was, her comfort food. This is what friendship is like right? It was completely normal to want to know these things, to look in Korra’s big blue eyes and just feel complete.

By the time Asami's brain came back down to earth the table conversation had moved on, now Korra was talking.

“God I miss you guys, we should go to the big game together next week! It's not like our football team will win, but that's half the fun” Korra laughed

“Zero to ten” Asami started

“WE CAN'T WIN” the group completed devolving into laughter

“We must have the worst football team in the state, I don't think we've won a game since freshman year!” Asami said

“And yet they STILL get all the funding” opal said

This was a fact Asami was familiar with the stem program at their school was abysmally underfunded. The Bunsen burners in the classrooms didn't even work, and the robotics team had to disband last year because they didn't raise enough money to compete.

Asami's father had plenty of money to fix these problems but simply wouldn't help no matter how Asami begged. He would always say it was a waste of money because anything Asami wanted to do could be done at home. He didn't care that others did not have a home like theirs as Asami did.

That was the thing that bugged Asami most about her high school, the students either came from extremely wealthy families like herself or lived near poverty. Almost no one was ever willing to help kids like mako and Bolin who grew up “on the wrong side of the track”. The two groups of kids grouped together often staying away from those not like themselves. It was a huge deal when Asami decided to start going out with mako, many people still refuse to talk to her because of it. Not that she minded, up until now Asami never really talked much to anyone.

Lunch seemed to fly by and so did the rest of the school day, time was faster with friends Asami noted.

It was odd to be alone again at home, just the mansion and her thoughts. Asami never really realized how quite her home was. She liked to remember her home as a place where her mother cooked dinner as her father played their grand piano in the living room.

Her mother was no longer around, and Asami had never learned to cook her “top secret family recipes”. Instead in the kitchen sat a credit card and note that Asami didn't bother to read, she had learned a long time ago that there would always be something more important than her at the office.

Despite her beautiful house and enough money to get any object she wanted, Asami couldn't buy a family or a home-cooked meal made just for her. Her father had stopped trying to replace her mom with young pretty women like he did when Asami was younger, none of them were ever in it to be a mother like she needed. Instead of closing the void in their lives the Sato’s choose distance, only ever speaking in the workshop on occasion.

Asami chose not to order herself dinner, as she made her way up to her bedroom she found herself staring at the large portrait of her mother. She was so young, only a few years older than Asami is now. She had always been told she looked just like her mother and now wondered when would she stop looking like her. One day she will be older than her mother, she will grow gray in a way the portrait never will.

When these thoughts came to Asami she knew it was best to go to sleep and hope her dreams were less bleak. 

**Author's Note:**

> I promise it will get gayer in the next chapter, I got to into thinking about ~korra~


End file.
